It is impossible to be happy with the world around you full of sorrow, violence, and devastation. We should always remember and realize that we are all in the same boat.

Olga Doronina, who was born in 1952, holds a PhD in biotechnology and was honored with the title “Inventor of the USSR.” As an official of the Commission for the United Nations Environment Program and the State Committee on Science and Technology, she headed projects with various organizations. She is currently vice-president of the United Nations Environment Program National committee for Russia, where she focuses her activities on the issues of sustainable development, the environment, and global security. She is a reputed academician and a member of the Russian Academy of Science.

It happens that some stories have a profound effect on people’s lives. The story that has always inspired Olga was the one told by her father who, while serving in northeastern USSR during World War II, was dispatched to deliver crucial intelligence information to military headquarters. In a severe snowstorm, his dog-sled team lost its way. Completely exhausted, both Olga's father and his dogs began to suffer from the cold and from hunger as the food supply dwindled. He divided what remained between the dogs and himself. Struck by the animals’ heavy breathing, he decided to renounce his own share for their sake. He understood that everything depended on the team. In the end the mission was carried out successfully and the intelligence information delivered in time. This story shaped Olga's conviction that in order to achieve a goal, not only is a strong personality necessary, but also common efforts and team work. Olga has worked for many years on issues of biotechnology and bio-security. An analysis of the tendencies in the modern world has convinced her of mankind's vulnerability in the face of environmental degradation and nuclear risks. In terms of scientific research, Olga was influenced by her teacher, the academician Nikita N. Moiseev, who introduced the concept of “the nuclear winter” and convinced the world of the monstrosity of using nuclear weapons. Her scientific studies in the sphere of global security have led her to a deep conviction that only the firm resolve and enhanced will of the global community can stop the destructive processes of modern development. To raise the awareness of her compatriots on the issues of global risks and sustainability, Olga has written the book, “From Stockholm to Johannesburg,” dedicated to 30 years of UN activities in the area of environmental protection, health, and sustainable development.

United Nations Environment Program National committee for Russia